Life-saving device.



I. N. MYERS. LIFE SAVING DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED SBPT.19, 1910 1,030,525, Patented June 25, 1912.

Zrwenizor. witnesses. 1 4 VJl/fyemfi ,citizen of the United States, residing at useful Improvements in ISAAC N. MYERS,OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

LIFE SAVING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 1 Patented June 25, 1912.

9, 1910. Serial No. 582,686.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Is Ac N. MrnnsI2 a OS Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented, new and Life-Saving Devices, of which the following is a specification.

is a rear elevation of the buoy.

This invention relates to life saving devices or .life buoys, and the object of the invention is to produce a buoy having a con struction particularly adapting it to support the body in a horizontal position and providing means for enabling the hands and feet of the person lying upon the buoy to prppel the buoy toward the shore.

n of this specification, Figure-1 is a plan of the buoy constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, Fig. 3 Fig. 4 isa cross section taken on the line t4 of Fig. 1 and particularly illustrating the propeller apparatus operated by the hands.

end of the shaft 10.

Referring more particularly tothe parts, 5 represents the body ofthe buoy, which is in the form ofa flat hollow plate of subof which cigar shaped floats 6 are provided, the forward ends of the floats being slightly pointed and rounding upwardly; The plate 5 forms a rest for the body and near its 'forward end it is provided with two openings 7, through which the arms of the person lying on the rest may be thrust downwardly.

Between the two holes 7, a block 8 is attached to the under side of the plate or rest by swivel bolt or pin 9,, and the forward edgeof this block is slightly pointed, as shown, so as to facilitate its passing through the water. This block is adapted to act like a rudder in order to steer the device as it advances through the water.

In the lower and rear portion of the block, a small shaft 10 is mounted, and the rear endof this shaft is provided with a propeller 11, which is adapted to be retated by means of a crank shaft 12, which is disposed transversely of the block; and provided with cranks 13, adapted to be rotated by the hands. This shaft 12 is provided with a bevel gear wheel 14, which meshes with a similar gear wheel Eat the forward It will be evident that 7 tion by means of a clamping screw 19. the annexed drawing forming a part notches 25,

at the side edges.

by reason of this'construction, a person lying on the rest 5 may rotate the propeller 11, which will tend to advance the float through the water; at the same time by twisting, the block on the swivel bolt 9 the device may be steered toward the right or the left, as desired. The rear end of the plate 5 is extended so as to form a central rearwardlyprojecting tail or tongue 16, and this tongue is also hollow and assists in giving buoyance to the float. At the rear end of this tail and on the under side thereof, a guide 17 is formed which guides the slide block 18 in a front andrear direction; said slide block 18 is clamped in any po:s[i-

n this block a longitudinally disposed shaft 20 is provided, the rear end of which is provided with a propeller screw 21, and this shaft 20 is adapted to be driven by a crank shaft 22 mounted transversely in the block and provided with cranks 23 having pedals 24, enabling by the feet. The rear edge of the rest 5 is provided with recesses or concave edges or which permit a free movement of the thighs, in operating the device, it be ing understood that the body lies upon the float face downwardly.

In order to give greater security to the body, the forward part of the tail 18 near the rest 5 is provided with a bracket 26, which has a forwardly and upwardly,projec'ting horn 27. the rump of the person operating the device, so as to prevent the body from sliding toward the rear. In order to provide clearance for the clamping screw 19 the rear end of the tail is cut away on as tdform a poeket28, in which the clamping screw is located, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. The tail 16 is than the hollow plate 5 and is extended forwardly under the plate or rest 5 to about the-point 29, where the tail terminates, as indicated in Fig. 2. The forward edges of the rest 5 are providedwith concave pockets the under side so This horn projects up over of greater depth or notches 30, which are. disposed about in. alinement with the openings 7 and these It should be understood that the hollow V plate 5 andthe floats 6 are formed of light sheet metal, and form air-tight compartments, which give the device great buoyancy. a

What I claim is:

1. YA buoy consisting of a horizontal rest,

a swivel block attached to the under side thereof, a propeller carried thereby, a crank shaft mounted in said swivel block, and means for actuating said propeller from said crank shaft. i

2. A buoy comprising a rest for the body having a tail extending rearwardly therefrom, a block mounted on said tail, means for adjusting said block in a front and rear direction, a propeller carried by said block, and a foot pedals for actuating said propeller.

3. buoy consisting of a buoyant rest for the body having elongated ,i ioats at the sides thereof having a centrally disposed rearwardly extending tail, and a horn near the rear edge of said rest and projecting forwardly over the rump of a body supported on-the said rest.

4. A I uoy consisting of a rest having elongated floats at the sides thereof, said rest having openings therethrough through which the arms may-be thrust downwardly,

a tail extending rearwardly from, said rest, an adjustable propeller near the rear end of said tail, and pedals for actuating said propeller by the feet.

5. A buoy consisting of a rest in the form of a hollow flat plate having openings thereelongated floats secured thereto, a propelling means pivotally mounted near the front end of the device 'forg iiding and assistingin the propelling thereof, and a pro-' pelling device at the rear end of the mechanism. I 4

7 A buoy consisting of a hollow buoyant thereto, a hand operated propelling means having a pivotal engagement with the forward end of the buoy and adapted to guide its movement, -.and a longitudinal adjustable'foot propelling means secured to the rear end of the device.

body support having side floats secured I In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day of September, 1910.

ISAAC N. MYERS.

Witnesses: F. D. AMMEN,

EDMUND A. STRAUsE. 

